Product Description

Sci-Soviets
As the new generation of vehicles entered operation, a flaw was discovered within the army organisation. The BMP-10 Svetovid carried only a single squad of seven infanty, three with with heavy weapons. While against enemies like the Strayvians or Jalyrkieons, this squad was sufficeient at range, it becamse clear that against these hardened targets, the small squad was not able to engage in an effective close assault. The expense of fielding powered armour was considered vastly too great (and especially given the sometimes poor quality of the infantry). It was decided that the simplest solution was to have a vehicle which could hold considerably greater numbers of troops. The problem was that a short design cycle woud be required. so rather than create a new vehicle, it was decided to retorfit existing vehicles. The aging BTR-360PA was selected, due to the larger numbers of them in storage - and also because it could be easily converted from wheeled drive to grav by the simple addition of grav-pontoons. The 360PA was chosen over the other variants, since it had no large turret and thus maximised the internal space. The vehicle recieved a new power plant. To keep the space requirements down, the new BTR-360A ("A" for Антигравитация lit. antigravition) was not fitted with the new standard partical-beam turret. Instead, it recieved a pintle-mounted lighter partical beam cannon, sufficient for PD and light anti-infantry duties. The BTR-360A no longer required the prop drive, since as a grav-vehicle, it no longer needed to be amphibious. The addition of grav drive also allowed an additional troop hatch to be placed in the rear troop compartment on the underside, just in front of the engine. In theory, this will allow the troops to debark beneath the vehicle while it hovers as well as use the older roof-hatches which exposed the troops to more danger. In practise, it is uncertain whether this will simple mean the BTR-360A itself is placed at great risk by having to float up above its normal operational height, where it cannot quickly move if attacked.